DIOCESAN NEWS
07/23/10
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Retreat offers 'Bread for Journey’
By Elsa Baughman
JACKSON — Last December, seven Hispanics from St. Peter and St. Mary parishes answered an invitation to be part of a new prayer group called “Lay Missionaries of St. Juan Diego.”
Recently, the group sponsored a retreat, “Bread for the Journey,” and they proclaimed their love for a prayerful life and a desire to serve their community.
Brother Ted Dausch, director of the diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry, said for many years he had the idea to form a prayer group.
With encouragement from Sister Grabriela Ramírez he invited several Hispanics to a meeting on Dec. 9, 2009, unaware this was St. Juan Diego’s feast day. He said “the date was just a coincidence, but a good sign for a good start.”
The group make commitments to meet once a month to pray and learn about the different forms of prayer and meditation, to study and reflect on the spiritual life of Christ missionary and St. Juan Diego, to pray daily, to spend five minutes in silence daily, and to pray for their enemies and Hispanics in Mississippi.
 Brother Dausch said sometimes it’s easier to live a healthy spiritual life when we join others who share values and attitudes.
“This is not a religious community but the concept of community is what is important,” he said.
Members will work in their parishes and if possible later will help form other groups around the diocese, Brother Dausch said.
Francisco Mazy, a member of the new group, said the retreat helped him see faith and obedience to God has to be demonstrated not only in church but also at home and with deeds not with words.
“We need to teach our children about humility and service to others . . . that is what God teaches us,” he said.
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